A Spring Skiing Adventure at Heavenly and Kirkwood ski resorts
Heavenly Ski Resort. We both agreed that this ski area had been aptly named. We looked out over the giant span of beautiful Lake Tahoe from the top of the mountain.
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A flight worth enjoying, honestly!
I’m in my Virgin America extra legroom seat with no one in front of me and plenty of room to stretch on this flight from San Francisco to New York. For once the five-hour plus flight doesn’t seem interminable.
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Time to plan your visit to our National Parks
My youngest daughter, Mel, says those national parks trips when she was little (and complained her legs were “broken” from all the hiking) spurred her interest in environmental science — her college major
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An Easter brunch to remember — Day Five
We are at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay’s Sunday Brunch that is so popular in the Bay area that people drive an hour or more to indulge.
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Giant Redwoods and little yellow slugs – Day Four
The Giant Redwoods, soaring hundreds of feet in the air, were amazing. But what was even better was the conversations with my daughter Reggie as we hiked through Butano State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains
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Backyard Vacations | Beach Vacations | Destinations | Families & Groups | Parks & Outdoors | Travel Diaries
Exploring the coastal region near Half Moon Bay
This area is also home California’s first and only broad based ecotourism visitor program, through which more than 30 farmers, fisherman and business community members have come together to offer visitors hands-on activities and a chance to meet local residents.
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RVing vs camping? Why not both?
Many suggest that despite gas prices RVing is cheaper than other vacations but the Muellers aren’t so sure. That wasn’t why they did it anyway—it was a lifestyle thing, to get outdoors with the kids.
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Day Two – exploring San Francisco’s Japantown
Everyone knows San Francisco’s bustling, busy Chinatown, the largest outside of Asia.
But Japantown? This area is worth exploring and not just for the food. -
Six days in San Francisco and Redwood country
The Fairmont San Francisco’s Executive Chef jW Foster installed the beehives in the hotel’s 1,000-square foot culinary garden to help support the bee population which has dropped 90 per cent since the 1980s.
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Spiderman vs. Harry Potter at Universal Orlando
Move over, Harry Potter. Spider-Man has arrived. “I’m just not that into Harry Potter,” explains 16-year-old Jordan Madow who preferred the newly reanimated Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
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How to get your teens to spend time with you
Question: How do you make two high school senior girls happy AND get them to spend time with you?
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Frozen Planet brings back memories of the Arctic
The new Discovery Channel series Frozen Planet is reminding me of the exceptional trip to the Artic Circle last summer. We were smack in the middle of a bustling fast food court—for Arctic animals.
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Teens meet DisneyWorld – really like Epcot
When we got to Magic Kingdom the first day we were in DisneyWorld, it was a little overwhelming. After walking through Cinderella’s castle, we were greeted by Hannah Montana
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Learning animation on Disney’s cruise ship Fantasy
Wow! Even the jaded 17 year olds I’m with are impressed. At the end of the show, each of our names — as we signed them on our placemat — is listed on the credits as “guest animator.”
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Two teens explore Universal Orlando and Harry Potter’s world
Once we arrived at Universal we met up with Matt, our amazing tour guide, who immediately brought us to our most anticipated attraction, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
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Just a couple of teens on a Disney Cruise
Jack Sparrow greeted us, along with crystal clear, bright blue waters and white sandy beaches. We walked past the first beach because it was a little crowded, but found chairs AND, much to our content, a water slide at the second beach
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Learning local history adds to vacation memories
Since we’re here on a girl’s getaway, we find it amusing that at the height of the mining boom in the 1900 census, there were 22 seamstresses in Park City but only two sewing machines.
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A club dedicated to getting moms back on the slopes
Welcome to Park City Mountain Resort’s new Ladies’ Club, offered certain days of the week. Women who hadn’t skied in a while, said Martell, “didn’t want a high powered clinic. They just wanted an opportunity to get back on the mountain in a non-threatening way.”
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Touring the old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia
The city’s medieval walls helped protect the city and there was tremendous international publicity decrying the bombing of this historic city and in favor of granting Croatia diplomatic recognition.
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Luxe and lots of powder at Deer Valley UT
For those who can afford luxe on the slopes, tt doesn’t get any better than the ski-in, ski-out Montage (with its own Compass Sports rental shop and ski valet where they buckle and unbuckle your boots) and Deer Valley
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Good eats in and around Park City UT
Here as well as at neighboring Deer Valley –which led the industry in providing good mountain eats—we’re seeing ever better food with an emphasis on what is locally sourced.
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Meet Holly Flanders – and make time for yourself on the slopes
Flanders teaches women’s ski workshops at Canyons—I thoroughly enjoyed one a few years ago—but now has a new mission—to convince women they need to make that time, no matter what else is going on in their lives.
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Remembering a great adventure in the high Chilean desert
It’s only 10 a.m. but I feel like we’ve been going all day. That’s because we left our hotel Tierra Atacama before dawn—I’d never seen such bright stars across the desert sky—on our way to the highest geyser field in the world—El Tatio Geisers at 14,190 feet!
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A visit to see the biggest Budda in the world
Not just any giant Buddha but the Tian Tan Buddha, the world’s largest outdoor sitting Buddha — some 98 feet tall and weighing 250 tons, his humongous right hand raised to deliver a blessing to all.
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Getting out of your comfort zone is a good thing – just ask the kids
It’s no secret that the snowsports industry wants to encourage more minorities to hit the slopes. But that’s not easy with lift tickets costing over $90 at many places, not to mention all the gear that’s needed. (Even long underwear and the right socks can be expensive.)
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Prepare for Take Off in a Stress Free Way
Yes, we get reserved parking at the airport. No, we’re not VIPs or parkers with special needs.
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Lower Manhattan is New York’s must-see destination
We’re talking about Lower Manhattan — specifically the area south of Chambers Street that’s surrounded by water on three sides. In 2011, a record 9.8 million tourists visited Lower Manhattan — 800,000 more than the previous year.
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When you take the kids, you take what you can get!
When we suggest stopping for some soup, Mel sees her opening to leave us. “I have a PB&J in my pocket,” she says, “I want to keep skiing!” …So much for family time.
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Timeout for some spa time in Beaver Creek, CO
Family ski trips can be a lot of work, especially for moms-all the schlepping, all the shopping for groceries and cooking. Certainly moms deserve some “me” time on ski trips and there’s no better place than a spa like this to enjoy that.
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Back to the 19th Century at the historic Hotel Jerome
The glitterati of the day came from around the country for the opening on Thanksgiving eve 1889. The hot and cold running water, flush toilets and electric lights were the ultimate in luxury for a town used to icy outhouses and miner’s camps.
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An unscheduled stop on American Airlines raises big questions
When our non-stop flight on American Airlines made an unscheduled stop because the pilot found out he was not qualified to land at our destination, it raised all sorts of questions.
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Fresh powder aplenty for First Tracks on Aspen Mountain
There are options for First Tracks every morning, but on Wednesdays for $25 you are treated to this sumptuous spread and then the chance to ski down the mountain any way you like,
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Eileen’s advice on flying nannies in ABCNews.com blog.
Eileen’s advice on flying nannies in ABCNews.com blog. The service could work especially well for a mom or dad traveling solo with a couple of young kids.
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A trip down memory lane for a pair of ski bum brothers
Years ago, they drove 18 hours from Texas, staying in the cheapest place they could find, eating greasy burgers and paying just $25 for lift tickets. Now they’re back in Aspen with their kids.
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Snow-shoeing to a gourmet meal in the shadows of Aspen, CO
The highlight—after the snowshoe in the wilderness–is the food—Pine Creek Smoked trout, … Colorado elk bratwurst, a smoked trout melt on sourdough and buffalo tenderloin..
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Back to the Ice Age on Snowmass Mountain
Incredible! Just in the past two years Snowmass Mountain in Colorado, famous for its ski slopes, has become the site of one of the largest finds of Ice Age animals on the planet.
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To Aspen-Snowmass for a trip down memory lane
You’re never too old to take the kids. And they’re not too old for a trip with mom and dad. Sometimes, that can include a trip down memory lane—on snow.
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Thirty years later son learns dad was right about Aspen
Turns out, my dad was right. Aspen and neighboring Snowmass — where we spent the first three nights — lived up to the old man’s hype. And then some.
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Spas are increasingly prominent at ski resorts
Skiing these days isn’t only about skiing with an ever growing array of spa services, including a growing number for teens and younger children like at the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek. Take your pick of massages, scrubs, wraps and more.
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Mexico’s Riviera Maya is a safe place for kids to learn
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention we’re less than a year away from Dec. 21, 2012, the date the ancient Mayan Long Count calendar forecasts will signal the end of all humanity. But experts aren’t convinced and I’m not worried.
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Attention moms — take a lesson from a skiing First Lady
She could have arranged to take her girls to the slopes and not gotten on skis. It had to have been scary her first time out. But she was game to try.
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Learning to scuba dive with the whole family
I’m just thankful to share this spectacular adventure in paradise with my husband and kids. It’s terrific — and rare — when you can find something you all enjoy, especially as the kids grow older
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How to travel with a teenager – carefully
At the inaugural FamilyTravelConference held recently at the Omni Berkshire Place in NYC, attendees said they wished hotels and resorts would take a page from cruise lines and offer more activities for tweens and teens.
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NY1 covers first Family Travel Conference
NY1 — New York all-local news channel — covered the first Family Travel Conference
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It’s not too late to plan a spring break — or think about summer
The good news is it’s not too late to plan a spring getaway (check the rest of my website for ideas) whether you’ve got just a few days or an entire week to spend and there’s still time to find a great deal.
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There’s something about Orlando
The thing about Orlando is no matter how often you visit, there is always something new. That’s why Orlando became the first city in the country to welcome more than 50 million visitors last year—some 54 million to be exact!
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Family Travel Conference reviewed on ShermanTravel
Travel writer Paul Eisenberg gives the first Family Travel Conference a great review on ShermanTravelBlog
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ABC News — Eileen likes Mardi Gras for kids
Eileen quoted by ABC News on places to go and see in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
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Family travel bloggers urge industry to try harder
At the first Family Travel Conference, held at the Omni Berkshire Place Feb. 3-4, more than 40 family travel professionals were unanimous that restaurants, hotels and cruise lines need to improve their children’s menus to make them tastier as well as healthier.
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What you need to know about cruise safety
It is important to keep in perspective that the Concordia disaster was by all accounts an aberration in an industry that prides itself on its safety record. Between 2005 and 2010, cruise lines carried nearly 100 million passengers with a total of 16 deaths…
